Chapter 450
Let me preface this by saying: the Feda tribe, at first glance, have appearances and abilities suited for espionage and information gathering. But I have absolutely no intention of recruiting them.
"So? Why did you try to sneak into this city?"
The reason is simple and clear.
This tribe cannot become allies. They're an unrecruitable NPC tribe, one that follows absolute tribal chief supremacy.
Generally, with such tribes, there are often eccentric individuals or strays with ambitions to leave the village, and stories often revolve around such characters changing the tribe's atmosphere.
But the Feda tribe has no such characters at all.
I stand before a man who seems to be the leader of the Feda tribe, sitting on a chair, and look down as I pose my question. But the man just turns his face away and says nothing.
"......"
"Well, if he were going to answer my questions, he would have answered Genjirou and the others by now, right?"
After all, they're a tribe that uses hatred of outsiders for child education.
A疯狂 tribe that instills in their children from a young age that everyone outside is an enemy.
Conventional common sense has nothing to do with them.
Tribal law is absolute; the chief's words are truth—they're a mass of prejudice.
Fortunately, they see both nobles and the Heretic Church as enemies, so they're definitely not affiliated with bandits or such.
Their combat ability isn't that high. Taking advantage of the night is troublesome, but as you can see, they're a tribe without the option to fight.
"My lord, perhaps some forceful means are unavoidable to make them talk."
"No, no. This tribe is exceptionally resistant to pain, so it would be useless. Just tiring."
However, I'm not without clues as to why such an insular tribe would leave the mountains and infiltrate another settlement.
Taking advantage of the night, they tried to climb the walls and infiltrate Freihait. Even when caught, they remain silent, trying to push through their selfish agenda. The Garden Guards, including Genjirou, are growing increasingly irritated, but for now, I calm them down.
"Alright then. Let me change the question. You came to meet the high-ranking dark spirit, didn't you?"
"!?"
"And incidentally, your tribe's fortune-teller or someone said the high-ranking dark spirit was here and sent you out, right?"
I knew they wouldn't answer.
So, rather than wasting time on pointless interrogation and reducing my sleep, it's better to just state the answer and move the situation along.
"Even with those pitch-black faces, I can tell you're surprised. That reaction tells me I hit the jackpot."
The Feda tribe believe their ancestors are descendants of spirits—more specifically, descendants of dark spirits.
Their jet-black bodies are proof of the dark spirit blood flowing within them, according to tribal lore.
Even if outsiders deny it, their faith remains stubbornly unshaken.
"Since persuading you with a long-winded argument would be a pain, I'll just summon the person in question."
"!!!"
"Sorry, but could you go call Dark-san?"
"Okay!!"
Communicating with such opponents is extremely troublesome.
Unable to have a proper conversation, and being able to predict the后续 development anyway, I ask the dark spirit waiting nearby to summon Dark-san, who is probably still immersed in clockmaking.
The moment I mention summoning Dark-san, the Feda tribe members start looking around frantically, their reactions showing panic.
They look like fans told their favorite idol is about to arrive, panicking because they're not mentally prepared.
A few minutes after sending the dark spirit through the Spirit Passage to call Dark-san.
The Feda, who had been making a scene, suddenly become well-behaved and start fidgeting. Before them, a large Spirit Passage opens.
"Muu, I was in the middle of something good. What's up, President? It's rare for you to summon me this late at night."
"!!!!"
The man himself appears. Not in his usual military-style outfit, but in a completely black outfit that screams "work clothes." Dark-san appears wearing a single-lens goggles with a magnifying glass on his head, gloves on both hands, and an apron, looking like he was just making clocks until moments ago.
"????"
Seeing this outfit, the Feda's fervor momentarily rises, but then their expressions shift as if question marks are floating above their heads.
With their faces pitch black, it's hard to read their expressions, but this reaction is very easy to understand.
It's a clear "this isn't it" atmosphere.
"Ah, well, it's like this and that."
"You think that explains it?"
"No, I just felt like joking a bit."
"Well, I know how hard you work, President. I don't mind playing along with jokes of this level."
On top of that, the distance between me and Dark-san is strangely close.
Even though he was summoned in the middle of his hobby, he's not angry. Instead, he laughs at my joke, pats my shoulder, and sympathizes with me, saying it must be tough.
For the Feda tribe, a high-ranking dark spirit is akin to a god, or perhaps equal to a god.
They certainly don't believe such an existence would be on familiar terms with a human like this; they believe in a more dignified, noble existence.
"So, actually, these guys infiltrated the city—"
"Ah, so those were the presences I felt earlier. My other comrades handled them and caught them, so I left them alone."
Hearing such a dismissive, almost uninterested response from that existence, their aura visibly sinks as if they're shocked. Although, since their faces are pitch black, I can't really read their expressions.
"Actually, they're a tribe that worships a high-ranking dark spirit like you, Dark-san."
"Ah, that kind. Which type? Saved in the past, claim to be blood relatives, or call themselves allies?"
"The blood relative type."
"Hmm, let's see."
Even though the dark spirit they worship is different from the one here, the conversation proceeds without them. Their confusion is none of my business as I explain the situation to Dark-san based on my knowledge. Dark-san, having lived a long time, probably understands that such people exist. He nods and stands before the cell, peering into the face of the restrained Feda man at the front.
"Hmm? They claim to be our blood relatives? Yet I don't sense even a trace of our presence in them."
"! Don't spout such nonsense!!"
Dark-san tries to sense the presence that a spirit should be able to detect, but feels none, tilting his head in confusion, directly denying their faith.
Unable to stay silent at this, the Feda man shouts.
"I'm not spouting nonsense. You are unmistakably just humans. No spirit blood, no monster lineage—pure humans."
"That's not true! We are the proud descendants of the great dark spirit-sama! This body that melts into the night is proof enough! You're a fake who can't even see that!! Pretending to be the dark spirit-sama is laughable!!"
Everyone except me knows that this Dark-san is genuinely a high-ranking dark spirit.
It's only natural, since we sometimes eat from the same pot.
And they also know that spirits are not特别 beings to be worshipped and absolutized.
Everyone here understands they are friends you can put your arm around and laugh with.
Only the Feda men don't understand.
Shouting at the object of their worship, unaware of the surrounding exasperation, the Feda man barks. Dark-san, who merely stated a fact, looks confused, thinking, "What is he saying?"
"Your inability to retort is proof enough!! Would a spirit-sama dress in such dirty clothes!! You must be some dirty human in disguise!! Reveal your true form!!"
"Oh, you wish to see my true form?"
Mistaking his confusion for deceit, the Feda man shouts with the expression of someone who's caught a culprit. Unable to tolerate this any longer, Dark-san—
"Hmm, I've been spending too much time in this form lately. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to return to my other form for a bit."
With a fierce grin, darkness overflows from Dark-san's body.
Seeing this, we immediately move away from him.
Sensing something amiss from the darkness, the Feda men start to panic.
Without hesitation at their panicked state, Dark-san's form rapidly expands.
The detention center has a reasonably spacious area.
Yet Dark-san's body grows so large that even this space feels cramped.
"A-a dark dragon!"
"There, as you wished, I've shown you my other form."
Before them stood a western dragon cloaked in darkness.
Red eyes, black scales, folded black wings.
A long tail, sharp fangs and claws.
This is the non-human form of a high-ranking dark spirit.
In terms of otherness, it's incomparably more imposing than his earlier work-clothes form.
"I don't know what form the dark spirit you worship takes. But if you deny my existence—"
He growls, baring his fangs threateningly, and glares through the iron bars. A wet sound is heard.
"—you must be prepared for the consequences, yes?"
They angered the object of their worship.
The price is the expression of despair enveloping the Feda men's faces.
Trembling, their emotions ruled by fear, the men can only silently shake their heads, tears in their eyes.
"Hmph, boring."
Seeing this, Dark-san loses interest and returns to his humanoid form.
"What exactly did these guys want?"
"If you're asking why they infiltrated the city, it's to recruit you, Dark-san. No, closer to a petition, wanting you to return to where you supposedly came from."
"??? What do you mean? Liberta, explain."
Dark-san's expression, back in human form, is filled with exasperation.
After all that commotion, he showed himself as requested, and now they're just wallowing in despair.
It's no wonder Dark-san wonders, "What do they want?"
"The Feda tribe believe their origin story involves a human man, their founder, and a female high-ranking dark spirit who fell in love."
"I'm male."
"Well, yes. Anyway, through various circumstances, the tribe grew, and during that time, the spirit supposedly left, or something—it's a rather cliché legend."
"...And they thought that legendary spirit was me and came here?"
"To put it bluntly, yes."
Having explained the reason, Dark-san sighs, even more confused.
Unable to understand or accept it, Dark-san looks perplexed. Sorry about that, but there's more headache-inducing talk to come.
"In their delusion, the scenario is that a high-ranking dark spirit is imprisoned here, and they are brave warriors who melted into the night to rescue it."
"...How did it turn out like that?"
"This is the conclusion of the ideology of a people who spent long years in a closed-off community, isolated from the secular world."
The return of the high-ranking dark spirit, their tribe's founder, to them is the Feda's long-cherished wish.
If that opportunity comes, they would suppress their timid and shy nature, muster their courage, and resolve to go outside.
Their common sense is skewed, so they think climbing walls and infiltrating is fine. Their common sense differs from the world's, so they optimistically think things will work out if they meet.
Honestly, the Feda tribe's quest has zero beneficial elements, so there's almost no point in contacting them.
Their faith is too strong; they can't act rationally, so they're unsuited for espionage.
That's why I excluded them from recruitment candidates.
"So? What should we do with them? Their claims aside, the fact remains they infiltrated. We can't just let them off scot-free, can we?"
"That's the problem. If we release them, they'll misinterpret things and cause issues. If we dispose of them, the tribe will get fired up and probably come again."
Honestly, the best solution was non-contact, but they've shown up and made contact.
Now we have to deal with it somehow, and I'm honestly racking my brains.
"Liberta-kun, you here?"
In this微妙 atmosphere, Shalia arrives at the detention center, wearing stylishly chosen work clothes from the Entertainers' all-black attire.
Hearing her cheerful voice, the Feda tribe members look up.
And upon seeing Shalia—
"Yada-sama!"
"Huh?"
Their eyes widen, expressions filled with joy.